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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28717485">Loving Luke Patterson</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodluckgettingtosleep/pseuds/goodluckgettingtosleep'>goodluckgettingtosleep</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Best Friends, Bisexual Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Jealousy, Luke Patterson and Julie Molina are soulmates, Luke Patterson loves everyone, M/M, Multi - Freeform, Pansexual Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Past Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Polyamorous Character, Post-Season/Series 01, Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:48:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28717485</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodluckgettingtosleep/pseuds/goodluckgettingtosleep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Julie and Reggie talk one afternoon and end up realising they're both in love with Luke. So, naturally, they become best friends. And Luke? Well, falling in love with people is just what Luke Patterson does, apparently.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Julie Molina &amp; Reggie Peters, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Luke Patterson &amp; Alex Mercer, Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>192</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Frankly Illicit Allure of Luke Patterson</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ayyy. I'm back already. I have never written anything multi or poly before, mostly because I've never really shipped a character with more than one person. But here we are. I just couldn't shake this idea of Julie and Reggie both gushing about Luke and ultimately realising they're both in love with him. Cue to them becoming best friends. </p><p>There will be a second chapter as a follow up, but we'll get Luke's POV in that one. It's already finished, so it'll be up tomorrow night.</p><p>No beta, we die like Sunset Curve.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Julie found Reggie in her room again. He was sprawled over her bed, idly strumming on Luke’s acoustic guitar and humming <em> Crooked Teeth </em> by… well, <em> Sunset Curve</em>, apparently. Her first instinct was to yell at him for being in her room again, even though she had explicitly told him to stay out, but it seemed like he was so zoomed out that he didn’t even notice her entering the room and she didn’t have the heart to startle him out of it. Instead she sat down on the edge of the mattress and started singing along, still knowing the lyrics by heart after listening to it more times than she could ever count growing up. Reggie finally noticed her presence then, abruptly stopping his strumming in favour of staring at her, blinking, flushing a deep shade of pink and hastily scrambling off her bed. </p><p>“Julie! I’m sorry! I’m going! Never even been here, nope, you didn’t see me,” he said a little frantically, looking seriously worried that she was going to be mad at him. And well, she was, a little bit. But she got the impression that something was troubling Reggie, so she decided to let it slide for now. </p><p>“It’s fine, Reggie. I don’t like you being in my room by yourself, but you don’t have to leave. Come back,” she told him, patting the mattress next to her. </p><p>Reggie looked like a puppy dog standing there in the middle of the room, having stopped in his tracks on his way out the door. He seemed to assess her expression for a moment, judging if she really meant it, before smiling and walking back over. He flopped down next to her and hugged the guitar close to his chest. </p><p>“It’s just— your bed is so comfortable. And I needed a little…  comfort. Usually I would hang with your dad, but he’s been out all day and—”</p><p>Julie reached over to squeeze Reggie’s forearm. </p><p>“Well, that’s a perfectly good reason then. You’re forgiven,” she said, but her words didn’t seem to register with Reggie. </p><p>“—and Luke is writing songs in the garage and really, I love writing with Luke, but it can get a little intense sometimes and I just needed—” He stopped rambling, Julie’s words finally catching up with him. She grinned. “Oh! Okay. Right, you already said— Thanks, Julie,” he said with a small smile. </p><p>“For what it’s worth, I totally get it. Writing with Luke, I mean. It <em> can </em> get a little intense,” Julie agreed, thinking about her writing sessions with Luke and how she always ended up falling a little harder for him. It wasn’t fair, really. He was a <em> ghost</em>, fallen out of time, and she was just a girl. She knew Flynn was right, but that didn’t mean she could stop feeling the way she did about him. </p><p>“<em>Right</em><em>?</em> He gets all into his melodies, and he really <em> feels </em> them and I know what that’s like but Luke is like— he gets <em> so hard </em> into them, and you can watch him feel the music with his entire being and then the opens his mouth and the way he <em> talks </em> about his songs, it all comes tumbling out and he’s practically vibrating with that energy—” Julie nodded along Reggie’s description of a writing session with Luke, feeling it all the way down to her bones. </p><p>“And then he closes his eyes when he plays you that riff he came up with,” Julie added, ”and he leans back and just looks like some kind of guitar god - don’t tell him I said that - but that’s not even the best part, it’s—”</p><p>“His words when he writes lyrics,” Reggie said, at the same time as Julie finished with, “His words when he sits down and writes lyrics.” </p><p>Julie shared a knowing smile with Reggie, and she was so glad that someone <em> finally </em> got it. </p><p>“It’s even better when he sings them to you,” Reggie added quietly. Julie groaned. She didn’t even want to start thinking about Luke’s voice. </p><p>“I <em> know!</em> When he does that raspy, growly thing with his voice? Shook to my core, every time.” </p><p>“Ugh, same,” Reggie whined. “He’s like a force of nature. I can barely keep up with him. Did you know he once got us a gig just by going up to the owner of a club and singing him a song, a capella and all? Well, he might have flirted a little as well, but that just makes it <em> worse </em> ! ‘Look at me, I’m Luke Patterson and I got chemistry with <em> everyone!  </em>’” Reggie was flailing his arms around while he spoke, red blotches covering his cheeks.</p><p>Julie saw the scene he was describing playing before her inner eye, and she chuckled, because it sounded so much like something Luke would do. </p><p>“Of course he did. I bet he can get everything he wants with that perfect smile of his,” Julie said a little dreamily, feeling something flutter beneath her ribcage when she thought about Luke’s smile, and the dimples on his cheeks. Reggie snorted. </p><p>“Duh. Yeah, he can. In fact, I cleaned his room once, back when we were alive, just because he <em> asked </em> nicely. It’s like I can’t say no to that guy.” </p><p>Julie was still watching Reggie as he talked about Luke and went on a rant about his sleeveless shirts when it suddenly hit her. She realised with a start why the look on Reggie’s face felt so familiar, and why she could relate so much to what he was saying about Luke. Maybe she wasn’t the only one falling. Maybe Reggie was already waiting for her all the way down at the bottom. And for a small moment her heart broke for both of them. </p><p>“— and I was like, ‘well, Luke maybe you should wear sleeves for once if you don’t like that nickname.’” There was a pause, and Reggie looked so painfully in love, it made Julie’s heart ache a little bit. She wondered if he even noticed what he looked like, and what his passionate rant about the frankly <em> illicit allure </em>of Luke Patterson implied.  </p><p>“Reggie?” she asked softly. </p><p>“Yeah?” </p><p>She took a deep breath. “Can I ask you something?” </p><p>Reggie nodded, instinctively hugging the guitar a little closer, though.</p><p>“Sure! Anything. You’re, like, one of my best pals, Julie. You don’t have to ask my permission before asking me a question.” </p><p>Julie returned his smile and playfully knocked her shoulder into his. </p><p>“You don’t have to answer, but-- Reggie, are you in love with Luke?” </p><p>Silence. Reggie stared at her, eyes widening, and then his cheeks flushed the deepest shade of red Julie had ever seen on anyone, which was quite impressive given the fact that Reggie didn’t actually have a body and therefore no blood circulation. </p><p>“What!” he squeaked, his voice impossibly high pitched. “No! Why would you think-- I’m not-- what!” </p><p>Julie watched him closely, the surprise in his eyes, the way he was suddenly plucking the strings of the guitar again in an absent yet nervous motion, how he was looking genuinely taken aback. It hit her that maybe he hadn’t even realised it himself yet. </p><p>“It’s fine, you know? If you are. I am, too, I think. Or at least, I’m getting there really fast and kinda <em> hard</em>,” she said softly but with a self-deprecating snort at the end. </p><p>Reggie kept staring at her, looking completely lost all of a sudden. Then he looked down at Luke’s guitar, absently stroking a hand over its body. </p><p>“But-- but I can’t be. Luke is-- he’s <em> Luke!</em> He’s my best friend! I’ve known him since middle school! I would have-- I--” Julie was pretty sure Reggie’s thoughts were racing as he kept plucking the guitar strings. And then, suddenly, he jumped up and threw the guitar onto the bed, frantically putting both hands into his hair and pulling until the strands were pointing in three different directions. </p><p>“Oh my god!” he shrieked, pacing back and forth in front of Julie. “Oh my god! I’m in love with Luke?” It sounded more like a question than a statement, his voice going up at the end. Julie shrugged, unable to stop smiling at him, even though he was likely in love with the same person she had feelings for as well.</p><p>“I don’t know. It <em> sounds </em> like it. Are you?” </p><p>Reggie stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. He threw his hands up in the air, shrugging.</p><p>“I don’t know either! I’ve never been in love before. How do <em> you </em> know you’re in love with him?”</p><p>Julie smiled softly, tilting her head as she thought about it, thought about <em> Luke </em> in particular. It was difficult to describe, but at the same time it was the easiest thing in the world. </p><p>“I just know, I think. It’s the way he makes me feel. I feel so deeply connected to him, and when I see him, or talk to him… I just feel so warm and safe, and those mystified butterflies aren’t actually a myth, let me tell you, my dude. And when he smiles, I want to smile too. When he cries, I want to cry. And I feel like I would do anything to see him happy.”</p><p>Reggie kept standing there looking at her for several moments before flopping back down on the mattress next to her, looking defeated. </p><p>“Julie?” he asked quietly.</p><p>“Yeah, Reggie?” </p><p>“I think I’m in love with Luke, too.” His voice sounded so small. </p><p>Julie chuckled and reached out to squeeze his hand. She was feeling an itch of jealousy somewhere deep down, but she stomped that small flame out as soon as it started licking at her. It didn’t feel right to be jealous when Reggie couldn’t help his feelings just as little as she could. Falling in love with Luke was so easy. How could she blame him? Plus, he had known him a lot longer than she had.</p><p>“I know.” </p><p>Reggie nodded seemingly to himself, clutching Julie’s hand almost a little too tightly. She was glad she could touch them now, even though it still felt a little strange, and she had a hard time explaining it. Well, honestly, she still had a hard time explaining <em> them </em> at all.</p><p>“But how is that possible? I didn’t even know I-- I’m not straight?” </p><p>Julie looked at him sympathetically. </p><p>“Looks like it.” </p><p>Reggie huffed. “Well that’s just like it! I’m <em> dead </em>and I’m having a sexuality crisis because Luke fucking Patterson doesn’t know what sleeves are!” </p><p>Julie chuckled. “You’re really obsessed with his arms, aren’t you?” </p><p>Reggie’s voice turned all high pitched again when he asked, “Can you blame me?!” </p><p>Shrugging, Julie knocked their shoulders together. </p><p>“Fair point. You know what’s also <em> exquisite</em>, though? Sharing a mic with him.” </p><p>Reggie dropped backwards rather dramatically, forgetting that he’d put the guitar down on the bed before and effectively knocking his head on it. </p><p>“<em>Ouch! </em> How the hell can I still feel pain if I’m already dead? How is that fair?” he whined.</p><p>Julie laughed, pushing the guitar further away so Reggie could lie comfortably and then lying down next to him. When she turned to face him, he was pouting. </p><p>“I blame you for this. You were the one who had to mention mic sharing.” </p><p>Laughing harder, Julie shoved his shoulder. </p><p>“When he does that intense eye contact thing and it’s like your insides are melting away,” she said teasingly, but meaning it all the same. Having eye contact with Luke was hard enough as it was, but when he was on a stage doing what he was born to do and so clearly loving it with every inch of his being - well, it had a tendency to make her quite weak in the knees. </p><p>Reggie sighed. “<em> Right? </em> It’s so <em> bad. </em> And then he’s looking at your lips every. single. time. And you want to die all over again, because you’ll never get to kiss them.” </p><p>Julie raised an eyebrow at him, probably gaping a little. </p><p>“Okay, dude, what? He’s looking at your lips? Oh my <em> god. </em> I’d ask how you’re still alive, then, but you <em> aren’t </em> , so there is that… I swear, he did that with me <em> once </em> when we were performing <em> Great </em> and I nearly joined you in <em> ghosthood.” </em> She paused, thinking. “But anyway, Reggie, are you sure you haven’t thought about this before? Because it sounds like you have.” </p><p>Reggie looked at her with a blank expression on his face. He was hopeless at this, but Julie had quickly learned that boys were generally hopeless at everything, and boys from the 90s seemed to be even worse. </p><p>“I mean… I thought about kissing him before. I just assumed it was that curiosity everyone is going through growing up. You know, wondering what it would be like to kiss a hot guy.” Reggie paused, and Julie raised an eyebrow. “<em>Oh. </em> Yeah, I see how that…” He frowned. “So, I’m… <em> bi?” </em>  </p><p>Smiling, Julie squeezed his wrist again. She was suddenly feeling a swell of pride in her chest. Reggie was handling this quite well, considering how major a discovery it was that he was making about himself right now. </p><p>“Are you asking me?” </p><p>Reggie still looked a little lost, though. “Yeah? You always seem so wise, Julie. Help a guy out.” </p><p>Julie reached up to tousle Reggie’s hair a little more for good measure. He was just so darn cute, like a puppy learning how to climb up a couple of stairs. </p><p>“I can’t answer that for you. But you don’t have to put a label on yourself anyway, you know? You can just… <em> be </em>, and be just as valid.”  </p><p>“Oh, okay,” Reggie said with a nod, the frown still creasing his forehead. “I feel like I might be, though. Oh, man. How did I not realise?” </p><p>Julie shrugged. “Sometimes it’s easier to avoid thinking about your feelings instead of confronting them and having to spend time thinking or agonising about them. For a long time, I avoided thinking about my Mom as much as I could because it hurt too much. Emotions can be scary. And painful.”  </p><p>Reggie freed his hand from her grip and squeezed her wrist in turn instead; a quiet, comforting gesture. He didn’t need to say anything. Julie knew he was probably going through quite a lot of internal stress right now, and she felt for him. She knew what it was like to struggle with yourself.</p><p>After a few moments of comfortable silence, Julie looked back at the discarded guitar, humming as she recalled what Reggie had been doing when she had entered the room earlier. </p><p>“I didn’t know you play guitar as well,” she commented quietly, causing a sheepish little smile to return to Reggie’s face. Good. He huffed. </p><p>“Yeah, a little. <em> Badly.”  </em></p><p>“Didn’t sound bad at all from what I heard earlier. <em> Crooked Teeth? </em> I thought you said you didn’t like that song anymore?” Julie asked with a grin and a pair of raised eyebrows. Blushing, Reggie averted his eyes and started picking at Julie’s bracelets instead. </p><p>“Oh, umm… well, if you listen to the whole song it’s not actually insulting, is it?” </p><p>Julie thought about the words she knew by heart, about the way they pointed out imperfections but painted them in a warm light, how they told a story about what it was like to recognise them as such but not seeing them that way because you love them so much. She bit her lip. </p><p>“Well, yeah… it’s… it’s a love song. A little unconventional and elusive but…” She sat up, eyes wide as she fixed them on Reggie’s confused face. There was a sharp pang in her chest that she chose to ignore. </p><p>“It’s a love song! Oh my god, Reggie! Luke wrote a love song about you.” </p><p>Reggie sat up as well, cheeks covered in red blotches again as his eyes widened to match Julie’s. Julie waggled her eyebrows, putting a teasing sort of smile on her lips. At the end of the day, she and Reggie were in the same boat, and she loved him enough as a friend to see past her own jealousy. </p><p>“Nah… he doesn’t… he’s not… but he totally likes <em> you </em> now, it’s so obvious. Trust me, I know him,” he said, squeezing Julie’s hand. Julie shoved his shoulder. </p><p>“Oh, yeah? Because you’re such an expert when it comes to feelings, right?” </p><p>Reggie pouted. </p><p>“Hey! How was I supposed to know I was in love with Luke? No one ever told me!” </p><p>Julie started laughing, she couldn’t help it, and when Reggie joined, they both toppled over on the bed, clutching their bellies. There was something comforting about finding someone who shared your feelings for someone else, even if her traitorous mind also triggered a sense of possessiveness she had never experienced before. And it didn’t make any sense, because Luke wasn’t her boyfriend. If anything, she thought, Reggie probably had more of a claim on him that she did. </p><p>“‘Julie, have you seen his <em> arms? </em> ’” Julie imitated Reggie’s voice as they kept laughing and wheezing, and rolling around her bed like a bunch of hysterical lovesick teenagers. Which, to be fair, they were. “‘Oh my god, Julie, why can’t he wear sleeves for <em> once. </em> He’s making me <em> swoon. </em>’”</p><p>“Hey!” Reggie complained again, still laughing and swatting her arm. “I<em> never </em> said <em> that!” </em></p><p>Julie snorted. </p><p>“But you might as well have!” </p><p>“‘Reggie, you know how <em> exquisite </em>it is to share a mic with him?’” Reggie imitated her right back, wheezing as he did so. “Who even uses that word?” </p><p>Julie shoved him. “Hey! Loads of people on the internet do. Keep up, grandpa!” </p><p>Snorting, Reggie poked her in the side. </p><p>“If anything, I could be your dad. I was born in late 1977, I’ll have you know!” </p><p>Julie shoved her face into a pillow. “1977!” she shouted. She didn’t tend to think about the boys’ past too much, in favour of not going insane. It boggled her mind easily to think about how they had all grown up in the 80s and would be in their early 40s now if they hadn’t died at 17. Like their old bandmate Trevor Wilson, apparently.  </p><p>“My Mom was born in 1976!” Julie told him when she reappeared from her pillow. </p><p>Reggie smirked. “See?” </p><p>“This is so weird to think about! I take it Luke was also born that year?” she asked. </p><p>Reggie nodded. “Yeah. He’s a couple of months older than me, though. He was almost 18 when we died.”  </p><p>Julie couldn’t help it. She fell into another fit of laughter. </p><p>They were both still laughing when there was a knock on the door, and Luke’s head appeared through it. The moment they spotted him, however, they started laughing even harder, clutching each other’s arms. </p><p>“What— What are you guys doing? Why are you laughing?” Luke asked as he entered the room, and Julie was laughing too much to look at him properly, but she knew he was probably wearing that adorable puppy frown of his. “Reg, I’ve been looking all over for you!” </p><p>Something about the tone of his voice made Julie sober up quicker than she had expected, and she slowly stopped laughing and sat up, finally looking at Luke, who stood there watching them just like she’d expected, puppy frown and all.</p><p>“We were just talking,” she said. Reggie sat up as well, nodding. </p><p>“Yeah. Why were you looking for me?” he asked. </p><p>“Because. We were writing, and then you disappeared, and I didn’t know where you went! It’s been <em> hours,” </em>Luke said, actually looking quite worked up. There was a smile tugging at Reggie’s lips, and Julie knew exactly how he felt. Luke clearly cared, and Reggie loved him, so there was no better feeling in the world. </p><p>“Were you worried about me?” </p><p>Luke scoffed, averting his eyes and scratching at the back of his head, a faint blush gracing his features. And suddenly there was not a single doubt in Julie’s mind that Luke had feelings for Reggie as well. She was pretty sure he had feelings for her, too, though. </p><p>“Well, yeah. For all I knew Caleb could’ve come back for you, or maybe you accidentally fulfilled your unfinished business!” </p><p>Reggie got up from the bed with a spring in his step and quickly pulled Luke into a hug. Luke looked a bit taken aback at first, but quickly wrapped his arms around Reggie’s waist, pulling him closer. </p><p>“Aw, Luke,” Reggie said when he pulled back. “I love you too, bro.” </p><p>Julie snorted, and Reggie gave her a warning side glance. Luke looked thoroughly confused when he pulled back, and if anything, even more concerned than before. </p><p>“Alright, buddy,” he said slowly, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. </p><p>Reggie and Julie sighed at the same time, both looking at Luke with soft expressions on their faces. Luke frowned at them both, and when Julie met Reggie’s eyes again, they both fell right into another fit of giggles. </p><p>“You’re both acting weird, so I’m gonna go,” Luke said with a shake of his head, and poofed out again. </p><p>Julie shared a guilty look with Reggie, and they both flopped down onto the bed again, sighing. There he’d gone, the boy they both loved. </p><p>“What are we gonna do?” Reggie asked. </p><p>Julie turned to look at him. Reggie’s feelings for Luke were painfully obvious now, and she wondered how she hadn’t seen it before. But Luke had written <em> Crooked Teeth </em> about him, and she’d seen the way he looked at him in return. The thing was, though, that she <em> knew </em> that look. She knew it, because Luke directed it at her as well, sometimes. Lucas Patterson, the absolute bastard, loved them both back, didn’t he? <em> Oh dear.  </em></p><p>“I’ve got absolutely no clue.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Stay tuned for Part 2 coming tomorrow night. Or maybe it's already there if you read this later. Luke gets to have his say in that one. And maybe he thinks Julie and Reggie are dating, or some shit. And he gets a bit jealous. Of whom? He doesn't know either.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Falling In Love With People Is Just What Luke Patterson Does</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Julie and Reggie were acting strange. Ever since Luke had found them laughing about something in Julie’s room the week before, they’d both been acting off, and it was slowly but surely starting to piss Luke off. He didn’t even know what it was, <em> exactly. </em> They just seemed to be attached at the hip all of a sudden, constantly hanging out together or standing in a corner whispering and giggling about something or another. They were also singing at each other more during practice, practically beaming at each other like they were in on something Luke wasn’t a part of. He hated it. They were both supposed to sing with <em> him</em>, and smile at <em> him</em>, not at each other. </p><p>One night after practice, Reggie pulled Julie out of the garage by her hand, whispering something in her ear, and Luke suddenly felt like he was about to snap. He slammed his notebook on the piano with a little more force than necessary, and he knew he was probably glowering as if Bobby had stolen <em> My Name is Luke </em> all over again. </p><p>“You okay, bro?” Alex asked, watching him with a concerned crease between his eyebrows. </p><p>Luke kicked a cable out of the way and flopped down onto the couch. </p><p>“I’m <em> fine, </em>” he snarled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. </p><p>“Like hell you are. I think you’re just irritated because Reggie and Julie have become kinda close lately and you stopped being the center of their attention.” </p><p>Luke glared at Alex. He felt a little called out and he didn’t like it. It wasn’t that Alex was wrong, <em> exactly. </em>It was more that Alex could read him too well and it was frankly annoying. Why couldn’t he just be left to sulk in peace?</p><p>“That’s bullshit,” he murmured. Alex <em> chuckled, </em> and Luke threw a pillow at him, which he <em> dodged, </em> but it felt good anyway.</p><p>“I’d say I feel you, dude, but frankly, I’ve never had the two people I’m in love with cohorting without me all of a sudden.” </p><p>Luke felt himself blush furiously, and he’d never wanted to punch Alex more. How did he <em> know? </em> Not that there was anything to know, really, but <em> how…   </em></p><p>“Have you been on the liquor Willie smuggled out of Caleb’s cursed club? I’m <em> not </em> in love with either of them!” </p><p>Alex snorted. “Sure, you’re not.” </p><p>Luke stood up, balling his fists.</p><p>“I’m <em> not! </em>” he growled. Alex raised his hands in surrender, but there was still a knowing smile ghosting around his lips. And somehow, suddenly, all his anger was evaporating and he was just left feeling strangely exhausted.  “I’m not,” Luke repeated quietly, sighing resignedly. </p><p>“Luke,” Alex said softly, coming around his drums and walking towards him, reaching out to take his hands and unclench his fists. “It’s okay, you know? Being a bit jealous. It’s normal, I guess.” </p><p>Luke focussed on Alex’s thumbs rubbing circles onto the backs of his hands for a moment, before snatching his hands back and using them to gesticulate instead.</p><p>“It’s <em> not </em> normal, though, is it? I don’t even know who I’m jealous of. When I see them whispering together or like, sharing a mic like they only used to with <em> me… </em> I just get so irrationally irritated, but I don’t know in which direction. It’s confusing, man.” </p><p>Alex tilted his head, smiling softly at him. </p><p>“So, both?” he asked. </p><p>Luke frowned again, examining this awful, constricting feeling in his chest when he thought about Reggie and Julie being who-knew-where doing who-knew-what. When he remembered them rolling around on Julie’s bed, laughing about something he wasn’t in on. He wanted to be Julie in those situations. But he also wanted to be Reggie. <em> Both. </em> Both? </p><p>“<em>Both! </em> Fuck! But how can I…” Luke met Alex’s eyes. The other was still smiling, but this time he also reached out to squeeze Luke’s shoulder. </p><p>“You got a big heart, Luke. Falling in love with people is just what you<em> do. </em>You used to be in love with me as well, remember? But I think Reggie’s kind of been your long run, hasn’t he? And Julie is like your soulmate from a different time, dude.” </p><p>Luke bit his lip, Alex’s words playing on a loop in his mind. He’d always felt close to Reggie, but he’d never really let himself examine his feelings for him any closer than necessary. When he’d been on his mind too much, he had written <em> Crooked Teeth </em> instead to get it out of his system. And it had worked, for a while. But Reggie was like the sun breaking through the clouds on a rainy day. He was warmth, and light, and like a summer day with endless possibilities. It was hard to get him out of his mind. And Julie? She was like an angel that had been sent into his afterlife to save his soul. He felt so connected to her, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that clicked into place perfectly, like they were made to fit. </p><p>Well. Okay. So he was in love with both of them. What the fuck? Grunting, Luke met Alex’s eyes again. They were all soft and caring and understanding, and yeah, maybe he was still a little bit in love with him, too. But it was different with Alex. Because they had tried once, when they were 14, and it had been a little awkward and they had fought a lot, so they had decided that they worked much better as friends. </p><p>“I think I need a hug, man,” Luke said quietly, and a split second later he found himself wrapped in Alex’s familiar arms. He sighed, holding on tight as he let himself be comforted for a moment. </p><p>“You’re gonna be fine,” Alex murmured close to his ear, and Luke closed his eyes and hoped he was right. </p><p> </p><p>+++ </p><p> </p><p>It didn’t take Luke long to catch Reggie alone after his rather enlightening talk with Alex. It certainly helped that they were <em> dead </em> and didn’t need sleep, leaving them alone with themselves and their thoughts all night while everyone else was asleep. So, when Julie was in bed and Alex was out with Willie one night, Luke found Reggie lounging on the couch, scribbling something in a notebook. He flopped down next to him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. </p><p>“Reg! I barely see you anymore, man. I was really hoping for your input on that song I was working on this week.” </p><p>Reggie put his notebook down and turned to meet his eyes with a small smile on his lips. He was too close, and Luke started regretting his approach. He could count the freckles on his nose, and the specs of blue and yellow in his green eyes.</p><p>“Oh, well,” Reggie said with a shrug, “Sorry? I’ve just been going to school with Julie, and afterwards we worked on some songs, mostly.” </p><p>Luke frowned, swallowing his irritation along with the weight on his chest that kept constricting him. It was still like a sling wrapped around him and getting tighter the more he thought about his worst fears. </p><p>“Why?” he asked, unable to keep his voice quite neutral. “You never liked school.” </p><p>“Dunno. I just missed it, I guess. Plus, it’s fun hanging with Julie and Flynn.” </p><p>Luke removed his arm from Reggie’s shoulders and crossed it with his other in front of his chest instead. </p><p>“Oh, so it’s <em> not </em> fun hanging with me anymore?” </p><p>Reggie’s smile was stupidly soft, especially when he reached out to uncross Luke’s arms. </p><p>“Of course it is, babe,” he said, and something fluttered beneath Luke’s ribcage. <em> Babe? </em>He’d never used that term of endearment on him before. Luke waited for further explanation, but none came. Reggie dropped his arms and reached for his notebook again. Luke glared at him, but he wasn’t even watching anymore. The feeling in his chest was growing, the icy, stabbing knife, the tightness that made him irrationally irate. </p><p>“Are you in love with Julie? Are you like, dating now, or some shit?” he blurted, voice accusatory, and he immediately regretted it. <em> Stupid. </em> He hadn’t even meant to explode like that, but his jealousy had taken over and left him helpless. </p><p>Reggie’s head snapped up, and he stared at Luke for several long moments, making him fear he would actually say <em> yes, </em> but then he suddenly burst into laughter. </p><p>“Luke— what?” he wheezed, and Luke was honestly feeling a little offended. “Julie is like a little sister to me. We’re not— oh my god. Did you actually think…?” Reggie laughed like Luke had just told him the funniest joke in the world, and it just served to irritate Luke even more. </p><p>“Well, what’s going on with you two, then?” he snapped, crossing his arms in front of his chest again. </p><p>“We just like hanging out with each other, that’s all. I promise,” Reggie told him, sobering up a little but still grinning like an idiot. Luke hated him a little. </p><p>“Then why is neither of you paying any attention to me anymore!” He was aware that he very much sounded like a petulant child, but he couldn’t help it. Maybe he <em> was </em> a petulant child. He had liked coming first for Reggie and Julie. And he missed that. </p><p>Reggie raised his eyebrows, his grin turning into something more soft. </p><p>“That’s what this is about?” </p><p>“Well… yeah? I miss you,” Luke admitted quietly. “And I miss Julie.” </p><p>Reggie laughed again, reaching out to uncross Luke’s arms once more and taking one of his hands in his, lacing their fingers. It had been so long since the last time he had done that. Luke’s butterflies took it reason enough to go wild beneath his ribcage. </p><p>“You got it all wrong, dude,” he said softly. Looking at him for a few moments, Reggie seemed to make a decision. Luke spotted the moment in his eyes. “I’m gonna try something. You can hit me if you don’t like it. Just… not too hard, please. I knocked my head on your acoustic guitar the other week, and I felt it for at least three days. <em> How </em> is it fair that we can still feel pain when we don’t even have a body, anyway?” </p><p>Luke stared at him, dumbfounded. What? What did Reggie want to do? His rant had thrown him completely off balance. </p><p>“Oh!” Reggie snapped out of his musings. “Right!” </p><p>He reached out to place his hands on each side of Luke’s head, and then— then he pulled him close and he kissed him. Luke froze. He fucking <em> kissed </em> him! On the mouth! What! Luke’s mind was short circuiting. Why was Reggie kissing him? Why wasn’t he kissing back yet? He should kiss back, right? Luke finally regained some of his wits and moved his own lips to kiss Reggie back, hand coming back up to the back of his head. It was a soft kiss, longing and loving, and it made Luke feel like he could fly. </p><p>When Reggie pulled back, he smiled happily, and it’s as the best fucking thing Luke had ever seen. It was all too much when Reggie poked his tongue out between his teeth, and Luke pulled him right back in to kiss him again. </p><p>Reggie hummed. “I like this,” he said against Luke’s lips. </p><p>“Me too,” Luke agreed, his voice barely more than a breath. His butterflies were going rampant. </p><p>Reggie chuckled as he pulled away again, squeezing Luke’s hand. </p><p>“You should talk to Julie tomorrow,” he said. “You might be surprised.” </p><p>Luke frowned. “What do you mean?” </p><p>Reggie shrugged. His cheeks were covered in pink blotches, and his lips looked deliciously red and <em> kissed </em> and Luke was pretty sure a sight like that should be illegal. </p><p>“You like her, don’t you?” </p><p>Luke stared at him. Reggie wasn’t making any sense. He had kissed him, he’d given him the best fucking kiss of his entire existence - and now he talked about Luke’s crush on Julie? </p><p>“I— yeah, I— but—” he gestured back and forth between them, flailing a little. Reggie chuckled again, and it was really starting to make Luke quite furious. Why did he have to keep laughing? </p><p>“But you like me, too?” </p><p>“Well, yeah!” Luke snapped, “Fucking hell, Reg. You <em> kissed </em> me! That was— how can I—”</p><p>Reggie squeezed his hand again and leaned over to press another short kiss to his lips, barely more than a peck. </p><p>“It’s okay, Luke. I know. Julie does, too.” </p><p>Luke gaped at his friend. <em> Boyfriend? </em> What did any of this mean anyway? </p><p>“But <em> how? </em> I didn’t even know until Alex pointed it out to me.” </p><p>Reggie shrugged. “Julie is quite perceptive. It seems like we both underestimated her. Just talk to her, okay?” </p><p>Luke was still frowning, but he nodded. </p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, alright. I will.” </p><p>Reggie beamed at him, and promptly kissed him again, laughing into the kiss like he was having the time of his life. It was quite infectious, and Luke pushed his feelings of confusion and mild irritation away in favour of revelling in the feeling of Reggie’s soft lips on his. </p><p>“I love you, Luke,” Reggie said softly, and Luke’s heart stopped for a moment. </p><p>“I— I love you, too,” he replied, voice cracking. </p><p>Reggie raised a fist in the air as if he had just won something. Maybe he had. </p><p>“Yes! Nice!” </p><p>Luke laughed. Only Reggie would cheer about his love being returned like he would cheer about winning a hockey game. Luke looked at him with an expression that he could only assume was overflowing with the fondness he was feeling for this boy. </p><p>“You're such a dork.”</p><p> </p><p>+++ </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Jules,” Luke said softly as he pushed his head through Julie’s closed door. “You got a moment?” </p><p>Julie was lounging on her bed, drawing on her mic. He’d waited for her to return from school with Reggie, and his potentially-new-<em>boyfriend </em>had given him a nudge and sent him right to her when he’d  finally popped back into the studio. </p><p>Julie looked up and smiled at him, and Luke felt that familiar warmth spreading in his chest, along with that pull he always felt towards her. </p><p>“Of course,” she said, patting the mattress next to her. Luke nodded and tried to swallow his nervousness. There was nothing to be nervous about. Right? Ghosts shouldn’t be nervous about anything. </p><p>He flopped down onto the bed next to her and glanced at the drawing was working on. A bass guitar. Okay. Maybe Reggie had got it all wrong after all? Luke was about to open his mouth to say something when Julie said, “So, Reggie tells me you’ve been a bit jealous because you thought he and I were <em> dating?” </em> She laughed lightly, the same way Reggie had laughed the night before. Why did everyone seem to know more than him these days?</p><p>Luke made a face. </p><p>“What else has he told you?” </p><p>Julie shrugged and smiled softly. </p><p>“Everything?” </p><p>Luke felt himself blush furiously. Why would Reggie go and tell Julie <em> everything? </em> He didn’t even know what to say now! </p><p>“Everything?” he asked, voice embarrassingly high pitched. Julie’s smile was unwavering, even when she reached out to squeeze his hand. </p><p>“Yeah. He and I are… well, we’ve become quite close lately. As like, best friends. He tells me everything, I tell him everything.” </p><p>Luke blinked. He had noticed that Julie and Reggie had become quite close, of course. He wasn’t a moron, and the fact that they were suddenly attached at the hip had triggered his whole crisis in the first place. He wasn’t sure how he felt about them calling each other <em> best friends, </em> though. It made his insides squeeze up with that traitorous jealousy again. </p><p>“Oh. Okay,” Luke said quietly, averting his eyes and picking at some fluff on Julie’s duvet. She squeezed his hand again, as if he needed or deserved any comfort. </p><p>“It really is, Luke. Okay.” </p><p>He looked up to find Julie’s kind brown eyes on him, and a smile dancing around her lips. She laughed lightly, saying, “Reggie was beaming like a freaking sun this morning. Must’ve been some good kissing you two got up to. <em> Finally,” </em>she added with a roll of her eyes. </p><p>Luke felt his cheeks heat up, and he faintly wondered how they could do that with no blood coursing through his non-existent body, but he supposed that was true for all his supposedly bodily functions as well as the fact that Julie was currently touching him. </p><p>“I— I mean, yeah. It was. I just— you—” And he was right back to stammering too, apparently. God, Luke was so bad at this. Reggie had been so confident about the whole thing, leaving Luke feeling like a spluttering mess, and now it was the same with Julie, even though <em> he </em> was usually the confident one. </p><p>Nodding, Julie leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. </p><p>“I know,” she said, “Me too.” </p><p>Luke stared at her for a few seconds before clearing his throat. </p><p>“Oh—okay. Right, then. So I actually have this idea for a song that I wanted to show you,” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say. Naturally, it sent Julie laughing again. He was going to slowly but surely start feeling like a clown if all his friends kept doing that. </p><p>Julie smiled delightedly. </p><p>“Alright. I’d love to see it.” </p><p>Luke pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from his jeans pocket. </p><p>“I wrote this for you, actually,” he told her, biting his lip. Julie took the sheet and let her eyes wander over Luke’s messy handwriting. Her smile widened as she read, and with it, Luke’s anxiety eased. When she was done, she threw both her arms around Luke’s neck and hugged him like her life depended on it. </p><p>“Aw. I feel the same about you, Luke. Like… like our souls are connected, somehow,” she said softly when she pulled away again, meeting his eyes. Luke smiled at her, and leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of her lips. Chaste, and not at all like any of the kisses he had shared with Reggie, but no less meaningful. There was some tragedy in it as well, because he knew, of course, that any sort of connection or relationship between them was inevitably going to end sooner rather than later. Because even though it was easy to forget sometimes now that Julie could touch them, Luke was <em> dead </em> . And he would always stay <em> dead </em> in the ghostly shape of an almost 18-year-old, while Julie was (hopefully) going to grow old and live a long, fulfilling life. With Reggie, there was comfort in place of that tragedy, because they were both dead and even though they didn’t know that would be next, there was more of a chance that they would still be in it together. </p><p>He just hoped he could give Julie some happiness as long as he could and ease her heartache once it was time for him to move on. Plus, he knew better than to make decisions for her. She had a right to know how he truly felt. </p><p>“Yeah,” Luke said eventually, spending a moment looking at their joined hands. “But Reggie…” </p><p>“You love him, too. I know,” Julie said. “And that’s beautiful. You have such a big heart, Luke. I would never ask you to lose that, or to stomp out that flame inside you.” </p><p>Luke snorted self-deprecatingly, Alex’s words ghosting through his mind.  </p><p>“Falling in love with people is what I do, apparently.” </p><p>Julie laughed, squeezing his hand. </p><p>“Yeah. And you know what? We love you all the more for it.” </p><p>“I agree,” Reggie said suddenly, poofing in right next to Luke on the bed, almost startling him out of his ghostly skin. </p><p>He felt overwhelmed, all of a sudden. Because there he was, sandwiched in the middle of two people he loved in a way he never expected to love anyone, and  yet he loved them both so differently. He didn’t love one more than the other, he just felt for them in different ways, and wanted to express his love in different ways. He’d never thought that was possible, but here they were, the best people in the universe, both holding his hands and smiling at him like he was a frickin’ star in the night sky. </p><p>“What are we agreeing on?” Alex asked, suddenly poofing in as well and sitting down at the foot of the bed. </p><p>“Loving Luke Patterson,” Reggie and Julie said simultaneously and Alex laughed, his eyes landing on Luke as he beamed. </p><p>“Oh, yeah. We can definitely agree on that one.” </p><p>If he still had a body, Luke thought, he would probably float right out of it, carried by the love of his… <em> well. </em>By the three people he loved most in the universe. </p><p>“Does that mean we’ve all kissed you now?” Alex asked, then, wrinkling his nose and effectively ruining the mood. Luke kicked him, and they all started laughing, holding onto each other as it all came bubbling out of them, the joy filling Luke’s chest like an avalanche. </p><p> </p><p>If falling in love with people was what he did, then he never wanted to do anything else. Well, except to play music. The one thing he was known for loving the most of all. </p><p> </p><p>-   END.   - </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
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